Passionate You
by Ladderandsteps
Summary: Alfred's latest photography assignment is to create a portfolio of work which embodies passion. He certainly wasn't going to ask Matthew to strip down for him, because that is just weird. But seeing Arthur strip down was something he was willing to see. And when Arthur agrees to be his model, Alfred can't help but think that this will be the first photography assignment he'll pass.


**A/N: I kind of wrote this without really having a specific plot in mind. And I don't know if the summary does this story justice. Because this story is literally the most random story I have ever written. Usually, I sit down and plan a plot out, but for this one, there was no plan, and I worry there is no plot.**

 **I don't own Hetalia.**

* * *

He thought his final year at university would be his easiest year yet. After taking a rough course load in his third year, he hoped his final semester would be a breeze. Two architecture classes, one seminar class, and an elective class. A class which should have been the _simplest_ class to pass. Yet, here he was struggling to pass his photography class while he was breezing through his architecture classes.

He stared at the black camera emotionlessly.

Even portfolio he put together was missing the vital emotions. Or at least that was the crap his professor was telling him right under his big fat 'F.' Vital emotions? How the heck was he supposed to capture emotions in a photograph?

Damn his roommate Matthew for feeding him the lies that this class was the easiest class in the university.

His next assignment was to capture passion, and he'd be damned if he received another 'F.' This stupid class was supposed to be a GPA booster.

When he came to his room that night, he was half tempted to ask Matthew to strip down. Maybe if he took nude photos, he would pass his assignment for the first time. But when he saw his soft, Canadian roommate, all his plans dissolved.

He wasn't exactly keen on seeing his roommate nude. Especially for a grade.

He played around with his toothpick model and played around with the settings on his camera. Maybe he was overthinking this ridiculous passion assignment. Maybe taking pictures of his models would qualify as passion. Architecture was what he was passionate about, after all.

"What assignment are you on right now?" Matthew asked him softly. He pushed a plate of pancakes to Alfred and sat down. Pouring his maple syrup over his pancakes, Matthew raised a brow, "Maybe I can help you out with this assignment."

Alfred frowned as he pushed his model aside. Turning off his camera, he put it aside and picked up his fork to eat his breakfast/dinner, "Passion," he mumbled as he stuffed his mouth with the delicious buttermilk pancakes. His roommate was the best.

Matthew smiled as he nodded his head slowly, "Oh yes. Passion. That was my favorite assignment. I took pictures of Gil. It was my highest grade."

Alfred slowed his chewing and mulled over what his roommate had said. Matthew and Gilbert had been dating since the start of freshmen year. And ever since last semester, they decided to take their relationship to the next level, if the trail of hickeys on Matthew's neck were any indication.

Did Matthew just take pictures of Gilbert while they were being, _ahem_ , passionate with each other?

He snorted while he swallowed. Perhaps if he had a boyfriend for himself, he would pass this assignment with flying colors as well. But as long as he had a nonexistent boyfriend, he would most likely get an 'F' on the assignment.

"Would you like to see some of the pictures from the portfolio?" Matthew offered innocently.

And gag while seeing Matthew and Gil be lovey with each other? Yeah, he'll pass with this.

"No," Alfred stuffed himself with another forkful of pancakes. After swallowing, he wiped his mouth and went up to clean the plate, "I'll just figure out this assignment myself."

As he was washing the dishes, he wondered if he could accurately capture passion while he was at a frat party. There was bound to be one couple he could secretly take pictures of.

"Do you think a frat party will capture the emotion?" Alfred called out as he turned on the faucet.

It took a second for Matthew to respond back, "That's not passion! That's hormones!"

Alfred grumbled as he placed the plate in their dishwasher, "Well, damn. I'm going to fail this assignment."

* * *

Out of all the places in the world, his most favorite place was the beach. Hearing the calm waves roll, the seagulls' annoying sounds, the sounds of people interacting. It was relaxing. More so during finals week. Whereas all his friends chose the library to study, he came to the library to dig his toes in the sand.

Today, though, he stared at the sky as he tried to think up of the different things he could capture for passion.

His classmates were being very secretive about this assignment, so he didn't really know what his classmates were doing. And as for Matthew, he still offered to show the pictures of Gil. But yeah, he'd roll around in his grave before he saw any of those scandalous pictures.

Sitting up slowly, he pushed his sunglasses up and turned to the lifeguard post.

Empty.

Excellent, he could swim out as far as he wanted without being caught. Wearing his goggles and jumping into the water, he swam past where most people went. Taking a deep breath, he sank down and swam to the bottom of the seafloor. Picking up the seashells, he observed them in his hands, turning them around slowly. Perhaps for his next model, he could use these shells to embellish his final project.

He glanced up at surface and swam up. As his face pushed passed the water, he took a deep breath and quickly placed the seashells in his pocket. Going back under the water, he swam to the side and was on the lookout for pretty shells.

When his eyes passed a glossy seafoam green shells, he reached for it. His fingertips brushed past the smooth shells before a snapping motion occurred right before his eyes. Before he could understand what happened, he swam to the top of the waters and took another breath.

"The hell?" he frowned as he tried to look at the bottom of the waters. Though, the waters were not clear. He pushed his wet hair back, "Those shells would be hella perfect for the model, though." Taking a deep breath, he dived into the waters and paddled towards the seafloor.

He reached for the seafoam green shells again, but just as before, they disappeared before his eyes. Turning around in the water, he saw the shells again and swam towards them. Stretching as far as he could, his fingertips brushed the shells again. Swimming with a little bit more force, he was able to wrap his fingers around the shell.

Instead of disappearing once more, a swath of shells appeared before his eyes. He frowned as his eyes quickly scanned the shells. His eyes widened when he saw a tail. As he moved up, his mouth dropped open as water quickly filled through his mouth.

 _Arthur Kirkland?_

* * *

He felt fists pounding on his chest. Coughing up water, he groaned as he turned on his belly. He felt as though he just met death and came back. When he felt a strong hand on his shoulder, he turned around and nearly had a heart attack when he met up with the olive-green eyes of the British fourth year marine biologist. His eyes immediately dipped southward to see if there was a tail.

But when he saw two pale, toned, real legs, he wondered if what he had seen was all a dream.

"Are you alright, lad?" Arthur's thick British accent rolled against his tongue, and at the back of Alfred's mind, a whisper of _passion_ could be heard. "You aren't hurt, are you?"

As Alfred glanced up to meet the British boy's gaze, he couldn't help but be fascinated with the faint freckles that ghosted across Arthur's face. Arthur's blond bangs were matted to his head, and sand was intermingled between his locks, giving him a rugged look. As Alfred's sky blue eyes dripped to the drops of ocean water on Arthur's plump lips, he couldn't help but lick his lips.

 _Passion_. A whisper passed in his mind once again.

He gulped and tasted the lingering salt water, "O-of course!" he mentioned a bit too fake. "Why would I be hurt."

Arthur's thick brows knitted together for a moment, before he nodded his head slowly, "Alright then. Will you be able to get to campus, alright?"

"Y-yeah," he stuttered again as his eyes lingered for a second longer on those toned legs. He was dreaming. Obviously, this ridiculous photography assignment was making him go insane. Mermen didn't exist. And Arthur, as a marine biology major, couldn't possibly be a merman.

Arthur patted Alfred's shoulder twice before slowly rising to his very tangible feet, "I'll see you 'round campus, then." He nodded once more before he covered his tanned shoulder blades with a loose tee. Getting up slowly, Alfred caught the trail of hair that disappeared into Arthur's swimming trunks.

Geeky Arthur was the epitome of unattractive, what with his thick caterpillar eyebrows and his old man fashion. How in the world did Arthur suddenly become attractive?

* * *

As he swirled his pencil, he wondered what Arthur would say to being Alfred's model. Ever since the day at the beach, Alfred could only see Arthur's sensual olive-green eyes and luscious lips, and even Arthur's mysterious trail of hair whenever he thought about the word passion.

Geeky Arthur at the library won't do. He needed sexy beach boy Arthur if he wanted to pass the assignment.

Approaching the Brit slowly, Alfred hid his hands behind his back as he watched Arthur clean the pool. His whole misconception of Arthur being a merman slowly disappeared as well. He was sure he remembered seeing Arthur swim in a swimming pool at a frat party before. And there was certainly no tail then. Maybe Arthur was collecting something that day and he just saw a seafoam green bag.

"A-arthur?" he stuttered slowly.

When the Brit paused, Alfred straightened, "I know this may seem like a weird request, but do you mind being my model?"

Arthur slowly tore his gaze away from the pool and gazed into Alfred's blue eyes with disinterest, "Quite frankly, if this is for your ridiculous photography project, then no."

He was slightly surprised Arthur knew about the project, "You know about the photos I need to take?"

"Of course," Arthur grunted as he pulled the skimmer towards him. Plucking out the leaves, he elaborated, "The Frog in your class? He asked me to strip for him."

Alfred became slightly relieved at hearing this little piece of information. So, he wasn't the only one to think that a nude model would be the best way to pass this assignment. Now, he didn't feel so guilty for thinking of asking Matthew to strip for him.

"Find another arse to strip for you," Arthur stood up and moved the skimmer back into the water.

Alfred expected a rejection for Arthur. Especially since they didn't exactly know each other too well before the beach incident. Sure, he heard about Arthur every now and then. Who wouldn't? Arthur became a beast after he downed a couple of drinks.

Stepping closer to Arthur, he muttered, "I actually can't think of another person to embody passion, but you."

Arthur paused in his movements before muttering, "It must be the pheromones affecting you." He turned around and frowned, "Wait another two days, and I'll be nothing more than a passing memory for you."

"Pheromones?" Was this marine biology talk?

"When you grabbed my tail, my body released pheromones, and you're probably still affected by it," Arthur muttered before turning back to the pool. "In another few days, you should have no trace of my pheromones left."

Alfred blinked slowly as he pieced together the information that Arthur was trying to convey to him, "So you're saying that I'm attracted to you because of the pheromones you released." For a second, he forgot all about the impossible, such as how Arthur could not possibly be a merman if he was _walking_ on land with his two, handsomely toned legs.

Arthur gave a single nod, "In a few days, you'll forget I exist," he emphasized.

Forget Arthur Kirkland exists? No way. His heartbeat was all jumbled up ever since he drowned in the depths of Arthur's olive eyes. All his dreams for the past two days consisted of taking every inch of Arthur's body, and his brain could only function if Arthur was there.

He didn't believe the pheromone bullshit.

Taking a step forward, he cupped Arthur's cheeks slowly, reveling in the feeling of the smooth skin. As his eyes quickly counted the freckles that brushed across his nose, he leaned in and muttered, "What if I prove to you that this isn't the pheromones speaking?"

Arthur stiffened in his arms, forcing Alfred to rub slow circles on Arthur's cheeks to calm him down. It worked slightly as Arthur relaxed and leaned towards his right palm. Alfred leaned towards Arthur's face until they were a hair lick away from each other. As Arthur's warm breath tickled him, he couldn't help but wonder what the taste of Arthur's mouth would be. Would it taste like the strawberry jam he spreads over his scones? Or would it be a mix of spicy flavors of the chicken tikka masala he frequently eats?

"If you prove to me that it isn't the pheromones, I'll model for you," Arthur muttered as his olive-green eyes became cloudy.

"Excellent," Alfred muttered as he pulled out his phone. Leaning down to capture the Brit's lips, he clicked a picture and hoped it captured the feelings he had for the Brit. When the Brit nibbled on his lower lip, Alfred dropped his phone and prayed to every god that he didn't lose the picture of him kissing Arthur.

God, he hoped Arthur wasn't convinced, because he wouldn't mind kissing Arthur in a hella lot more places to prove his point. As his hands dropped to Arthur's hips, he took a step forward and didn't notice they were oh so close to the edge of the pool. When Arthur wrapped his legs around Alfred's torso, it took all of Alfred's willpower not to take Arthur right there.

As Arthur pulled on the back of his hair, he moaned out in pleasure and Arthur used this opportunity to use his tongue to brush the bottom of his lip. As he allowed for entrance, he tongue fought for dominance as he tried to reel in all his bursting passion.

Taking another step, his eyes widened as they fell into the pool. Briefly being separated from Arthur, he kicked around as he tried to reach for the blond Brit. When their fingertips brushed, Arthur pushed him closer. He could feel the tickle from Arthur's tail, but before he could question anything, Arthur's lips were back on him. This time, he wrapped his legs around Arthur and pulled him closer as he had the fleeting thought of.

 _He's gorgeous._

* * *

He wasn't able to meet Arthur for the rest of the week, being swamped into two writing assignments and adding some of the finishing touches to his model. But for all the time he spent away from Arthur, his mind made up creative scenarios for when they met up again.

Kissing under water was hot, and he desperately wanted to do it again, but he also wanted to claim every inch of Arthur. His mind was great with its creativity. But his body craved for Arthur's magical touch. All that pheromone crap Arthur was talking about was complete bullshit. Because Alfred still craved for him, but now he wavered on whether Arthur should be his model.

He certainly didn't want to show off Arthur's intimate side. The sensual Brit was for his eyes only. The rest of the world can just savor the geeky nerd for all he cared.

As he sauntered back to the pool room, he appreciated the curve of Arthur's bum as he leaned over and picked up skimmer. As he stood directly behind Arthur, he let his hands roam up Arthur's body slowly. His mouth was busy nibbling on Arthur's earlobe, and did it taste good.

Arthur stiffened and tried to push Alfred away. Immediately Alfred took a step back and frowned, "Please don't say anything about pheromones. Because I'm still down for fucking you senselessly."

Arthur blinked for a moment before he dryly mentioned, "You have a wonderful way of expressing yourself." Alfred rolled his eyes as he leaned in for a kiss, waiting for a week for this was just miserable. He had to go back to the photo he took—which luckily saved in his cloud storage—to get any relief from his confusing emotions.

Arthur placed the skimmer between them. So instead of feeling Arthur's wonderful lips, he met the cool metal of the handle. Pouting, he crossed his arms, "It's been a week and I still want to jump your bones. What I have for you is real."

"Unfortunately for you, we fell into the pool and I became a merman again," Arthur took a step back and narrowed his olive-green orbs. "I released another burst of pheromones. You'll have to wait another week."

He didn't have another week. The project was due in two weeks, and their professor mentioned that they should have at least ten or so photos for her to look over before the final portfolio was submitted. He couldn't risk another failing grade, or he would have to take summer classes.

If he could get at least an A on this project, he was sure, he would pass with at least a D for the semester. And that was better than the F he had right now.

He rubbed the back of his neck wondering what he should do, now that Arthur was not a possibility for being his model. He was really banking on Arthur saying yes, and now he was royally screwed for this assignment. He'll have to give up his summer internship at his dream architectural firm, now. All because of stupid photography class.

If only he could throttle Matthew right now.

"Though, you need a model, still, don't you?" Arthur muttered while biting his lip. Alfred's gaze lingered towards Arthur's lips for a little bit longer than what was appropriate. Oh how he wished to be nibbling on Arthur's lip instead.

Arthur frowned as he waved his hand in front of Alfred. Alfred blinked and took a step back. Arthur's nose wrinkled—something Alfred thought was extremely cute, he desperately wanted to lean forward and kiss that nose—as he muttered, "Git." Clearing his throat, he announced, "Eyes up here."

Alfred frowned as he thought about running his hands all over Arthur's lean body. His hands were seriously craving for Arthur's touch. Whatever Arthur was telling him was flying all over his head. Every time his mouth moved, Alfred felt the urge to jump towards the Brit and caress his body.

"Do you release pheromones when you don't have a tail?" Alfred bluntly asked. He needed to know. Because he never felt this strongly about the Brit before. Granted, he never really knew the Brit, but it was slightly scary with how fast his body was responding. For now, he only saw Arthur in shorts and a loose tee. Maybe if he spotted Arthur in the library wearing his ugly sweater vests, he would learn to control himself.

"No, I don't," Arthur frowned. He took a step back, and before Alfred could catch him, Arthur fell into the pool once more. He swam up to the top as Alfred went down on his knees with a frown. There was no tail. Pointing to Arthur's legs, he raised a brow. Arthur glanced down at his legs before letting his fingers wrap around his seafoam green seashell amulet, "This amulet keeps me from turning back. I figured you would probably be feeling residual emotions, so I wore this just in case. Can't have a repeat of last week. Otherwise we'd be doing this for the rest of our lives."

Alfred leaned over and wrapped his fingers around the wet amulet, "How many people have seen you in your merman form?" he almost growled it out. Arthur was the sole cause for all these changes. That, and his stupid photography class for assigning such a dumb assignment.

Arthur sank down into the water slowly, "Just Francis," he mumbled. "Maybe Antonio and Gilbert if they weren't too drunk, that day."

 _Gilbert. Is this the Prussian?_

Well, he didn't need to worry about the albino who was too preoccupied with his roommate.

"Are Francis and Antonio dating?" his voice was filled with a certain edge. If Arthur denied this statement, he wasn't really sure what he would do.

Arthur sank lower in the pool, "Y-yes," he stuttered out.

It was enough confirmation for him. He quickly pulled his t-shirt and jeans off and jumped into the water. He pulled Arthur close to him and kissed him senselessly. His goal? To make Arthur forget about every coherent thought. To make Arthur realize that Alfred was the only one for him.

One week was too fucking long. Never again.

* * *

He adjusted the camera lens as he tried to ignore the ebbing passion building up in the pit of his stomach. Luckily, Arthur agreed to model, and after a brief discussion, they both decided that the best way to convey the raw emotions of passion was to have Arthur strip.

Alfred's white blanket was wrapped around Arthur's lower half, covering the most intimate bits.

He wasn't going to let everyone get a glimpse of his sexy merman.

Lowering himself onto the bed, he bit on Arthur's lip before they moved into a tongue war. When he heard Arthur's moan, he reluctantly pulled away and grabbed his camera. Arthur's body was flushed in all the right places. He wanted to kick himself for ignoring Arthur all these years. Maybe if they had only talked in freshman year, he would've called the Brit his long, long ago.

Taking a snap, he leaned back down and finished the kiss, loving the feeling of Arthur arching to his touch, "Just a few more snaps, baby," he muttered as he leaned down and kissed the sensitive spot on Arthur's neck.

As Arthur's green eyes were half-lidded wish passion, Alfred grabbed his camera for another snap and focused exclusively on Arthur's eyes. Dear lord, this man was a work of art. He was surprised he wasn't taken before by someone.

Tossing the camera aside on the bed, Alfred swooped down and hid himself in the crevice of Arthur's neck. Taking a deep breath, he felt himself getting high with the smell that he equated to Arthur. The unique blend of sea salt mixed with the scent of jasmine tea and scones filled with strawberry jam, and a hint of an amalgamation of spices.

He turned and pulled Arthur will him so now Arthur was on top of him. Wrapping his hands around the Brit, Alfred pulled his close and muttered, "Stay for the night?"

"Can't. Both of us know you really don't mean it," Arthur mentioned as he began to untangle himself from Alfred's grip. The sheets were dangerously close from slipping off Arthur's narrow hips, but before he could get a glimpse, Arthur pulled the sheets close to him and glared at Alfred while muttering, "Pervert."

"You love it," he drawled as he turned around, enjoying every second of watching Arthur slip back into his clothes. This time, the ugly sweater vests came back, and strangely, he wanted to see more of Arthur dressing in sweater vests. Maybe for other people it was atrocious, but on Arthur, it was hella cute. Alfred grabbed his pillow and lazily turned around, "Will you be back for tomorrow?"

Arthur lazily turned to him as he buttoned his slacks, "No, I won't be back." Alfred raised his brow and pulled his pillow close to him. "The effect of the pheromones should wipe off tomorrow. You'll forget about me, but at least you'll have the pictures for your assignment, right?"

Thoughts of how wrong Arthur was flitted around in his head. During the week, he was separated from Arthur, he tried to think clearly and reasonably about the situation. Never had he felt so strongly about jumping someone as much as he did for Arthur. Maybe the pheromones helped him evoke feelings for the Brit. But during the week, he had all the time to forget about Arthur Kirkland.

Yet, he couldn't.

What he was feeling wasn't due to pheromones, it was raw, and it was real.

He'd do anything to convince Arthur otherwise.

As he watched Arthur buckle his belt, Alfred wondered how it would be to take the Brit on a date. Would he prefer the seaside? Or would he want to be as far away from the sea as possible? At least he knew the type of food he would need to order for their date.

Before Arthur could leave, Alfred swooped in and planted one last kiss on Arthur's lips. As they pulled away, Alfred gave a lazy smile as his attention turned to the light purple bruise. They were careful to not be too rough, lest it would appear on the photos. His fingers pulled on the back of Arthur's blond hair as he pulled Arthur close. Biting on the spot once more, he kissed the spot and grinned when he felt Arthur's shiver.

"Something to remember me by," he kissed Arthur's forehead and winked.

Arthur Kirkland was his and no one could tell him otherwise.

* * *

After turning in the least scandalous of pictures, Alfred ventured out towards the library to meet his boyfriend—yes, that was what Arthur was to him. When he saw the Brit leaning over a textbook, he grinned and pulled the seat right next to Arthur. Sitting down, he announced, "I turned in my portfolio."

Arthur flipped the page to his textbook, and muttered, "Isn't that just fantastic?"

Geeky Arthur wore tan slacks which a white dress shirt that hugged his every curve. Just the white dress shirt would have been enough, but Arthur had to pair it with a dark green sweater vest, turning him into some old geezer. It was fine though.

Alfred grabbed Arthur's left arm and interlocked their fingers.

As long as Arthur was _his_ old geezer.

Arthur paused from his reading and glanced up at Alfred with a mild sense of curiosity. If Alfred was a merman hybrid, even he would've been confused. According to Arthur, Alfred should've not been attracted to Arthur now. Especially since the effect of the pheromones should have been wiped off.

But here Alfred was. Sitting in front of Arthur, holding Arthur's hand gently.

Arthur blinked once and lowered his voice to a raspy whisper, "What are you doing here?"

"Asking my boyfriend out on the date. What type of food would you like to eat?"

Arthur blinked once more, and Alfred knew that Arthur was processing the words in his head. After a moment, Arthur chuckled and shook his head, "Nice joke, you just want to celebrate for not having to worry about your final project any longer."

"Well that, and I want to spend time alone with my _boyfriend_." He emphasized the last word, hoping it would make it through Arthur's muddled brain.

Arthur slowly gulped as he leaned away from Alfred—not exactly the reaction he expected from Arthur. "Oh," the Brit adjusted his reading glasses. "You want more pictures don't you?"

"Babe, as much as I want to see you wrapped around my sheets writhing with pleasure, I want to take a step back," Alfred ran his fingers through Arthur's hair and grabbed the back hairs in a teasing manner. "I want to take a step back, though. Maybe go out on a date to get to really know you."

"W-why?" Arthur's voice wavered in disbelief.

With a frown, Alfred repeated, "Why?" He pulled his boyfriend into a hug, "Because I think you're hella handsome. And I don't want you to belong to anyone else than me." He frowned for a moment, before he glanced down, "Babe, do you let every hormone riddled guy kiss you? Or was I a special exception?" He desperately hoped he was the exception. He didn't know how he would be able to handle competition.

"I'd kick someone if they ever tried to pull off what you did," Arthur bluntly stated with a frown.

Alfred cracked a grin and tightened his grip on Arthur, "So I was a special exception then?" he asked in a slightly teasing manner.

Arthur was silent for a second. Alfred's fingers trailed down, and Arthur jumped slightly when Alfred poked him in his sensitive spot. With a blush passing his cheek, Arthur dug his face into Alfred's chest, "Sure," he mumbled with slightly annoyance.

With a laugh, Alfred kissed the top of Arthur's head, "Love you, too, babe."

* * *

They had another photo shoot. This time, Arthur was wearing only hi flannel shirt. It was a hot photoshoot, and he knew that he was keeping some photos to himself for personal reasons. If there was one good thing that occurred from listening to Matthew's terrible advice to take the photography class, it was that he met Arthur Kirkland and fell in love with him.

Even though they were only a week old, Alfred was pleased to learn many things from his British sweetheart. Such as the fact that Arthur had a crush on him ever since their first year. That crush was the only reason he allowed for Alfred to kiss him in the first place. He also learned that Arthur was much more responsive to his kisses underwater. So of course, they spent most of their time—when they weren't on dates—balanced between the pool and his room.

Even after his assignment was finished, Arthur was open to the idea of modeling for Alfred in the future. And sure, he might hate photography, but if he had a model like Arthur, he didn't mind picking up the camera. And all the action he received after the photoshoot was more than worth it, so he wasn't complaining. Plus, he loved seeing his boyfriend nearly naked.

As the professor returned the assignments back to them, she started to complain about how no one in the class properly understood the prompt. But there were a few that received a passing grade. He sincerely hoped he was part of the lucky few that passed. This assignment was his last hope to passing.

As his professor dropped his completed portfolio. He closed his eyes and prayed for an A. He would need it anyway to pass. As he flipped the portfolio, his heart fell when he saw the 'B+' written on the top. As he drooped in his seat, he could care less about the photography lesson. He already failed, what was the point?

As his professor droned about the last assignment they would have to do, Alfred lifted his pencil and took lackluster notes. Once class ended, he pushed his notebook into his backpack and stood up, getting ready to bolt out of the classroom, but his professor called his name out.

With a slow step, Alfred went to the professor. He was sure she would want to talk about his less than stellar grades. Glancing at the floor, he nodded his head, "Yes?" he inquired. The faster she spoke, the faster he would be able to leave.

"Your passion project was certainly interesting," his professor slowly started. "Though, I would like to think that it falls more under pure love. Since I heard great things from other professors about you, I'm willing to give you a chance. I'll count this grade towards love, and you can remake the Passion project by giving you another week. Are you interested?"

He lifted his head slowly. Another week? Of course! His grade still had some hope. He nodded his head furiously, "I'll have the portfolio finished!"

This time, when he came home, he asked Matthew if he could see the Passion Portfolio he put together. Perhaps if he saw those photos, he would be able to have Arthur reenact those scenes.

In just a few minutes, Matthew came back with a manila folder. Handing it over to Alfred, Matthew plopped down on the couch and began to text Gil.

Preparing himself for the absolute worst, Alfred opened the folder. But he nearly dropped the whole folder in surprise when he saw the first picture of Gil smiling at his pet bird which was named after him. Flipping through the pictures, he saw more of Gil and Gillybird.

"Matthew?" he called out in disbelief. "Are you sure you gave me the right portfolio?"

Matthew glanced up from his phone and nodded his head slowly, "Yeah." He leaned over and saw the picture of Gil and nodded his head in confirmation this time, "Yeah," he repeated. "I captured Gil's passion for taking care of his pet bird. What did you do?"

Alfred stayed silent, slightly ashamed of how he understood the prompt. He honestly could've stuck with taking pictures of his models.

Seeing Alfred's silence, Matthew blushed for Alfred, "Oh maple," Matthew shook his head, "you took _those_ types of pictures didn't you?"

Alfred nodded his head sheepishly, "Yeah."

Well, even if he misunderstood the prompt, at least he had the chance to meet up with Arthur Kirkland. No doubt, he would've fallen in love with Arthur, but at least the stupid photography project made him meet Arthur faster.

When he heard his phone buzz, he arched his back and leaned over, reaching for it. Smiling, he typed his response back.

 **Arthur Kirkland:** After our date night, back to your place?

 **Alfred F. Jones:** Of course…love you babe ;)

After a few seconds, he couldn't help but sport the widest smile.

 **Arthur Kirkland:** Love you, too :)

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you liked it and didn't think it was awful. I had no plot in mind when I was writing this. Words kind of just appeared and then I continued it. Also, this kind of romance is not something I typically write, so hopefully I didn't butcher anything in my descriptions. Let me know if I need to rate this higher though. I don't think it should be, but if any of you think otherwise, I'll change it accordingly!**

 **Thanks for reading this story which had no plot!**


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